Goodbye'
by Blind Solitude
Summary: Soon after Isshin leaves the Soul Society, Toshiro takes a visit to the hospital where the ex-Captain works.


**Okay, for the setting of the story; it takes place after the events of chapters 529-537, but its still awhile before the current plot. Also, I don't know what The Soul Society thought about where Isshin was {probably dead}, but in this story, the SS knows where he is and kind of why. So possibly a little AU? Oh, yeah, on the topic of AU, Isshin works at his personal clinic, right? Well, here he works in the public hospital c:**

* * *

The Karakura Hospital loomed before the young shinigami; the main building seemed to be only story upon story of windows. Every time he came to the human world, Toshiro noted, everything seemed to change. _'Of course, I'm not here to admire architecture...'_ In actuality, the shinigami had taken his vacation time here. It had been as the Lieutenant said, after all, that his vacation time was usually spent "training or some other boring use of time"- as Matsumoto had put it. So this time, he heeded her word and actually took a break...or so he guiltily told himself. He knew that technically, he wasn't supposed to be visiting the ex-squad 10 captain. He knew that the man was technically a criminal. However, no one had specifically said he couldn't, so if they found out {which they probably wouldn't} they really couldn't punish him. Badly, anyway. Besides, if the Squad 12 was correct, the man wouldn't even be able to see him.

Toshiro sighed. He spent to much time listening to the Lieutenant and her absurd reasoning. He could think of five people off the top of his head that would be disappointed with him, mostly because they knew that he knew better. But...still. It's not like he'd asked for the Captain to just disappear, leaving only a note, and then never return. He hadn't asked for the Squad 12 to announce that the tenth squad's beloved captain was dead; just for later to have that decision proven wrong- _psych. Captain Shiba isn't dead, but you still can't see him. Now he's a traitor!_ The young shinigami bit his lip at those selfish thoughts, as though he were the only one effected. Still without a captain, the tenth squad was in turmoil, and the squad members still seemed to be accepting Shiba's death. And since Matsumoto obviously wasn't planning on taking the position of Captain, people were starting to look at him, when his bankai was still shaky and obviously not fit for a captain. What a mess.

The shinigami's thoughts were interrupted as two giggling children rushed past him, their mother trying to berate them for running as she struggling to catch up while in heels. The little boy, still laughing, stumbled past the shinigami, who instinctively stepped away as the boy threw open the door and entered. Not, of course, that any of them could see him, but watching them was enough to steel his resolve, and he entered into the office behind them.

For a moment, Toshiro stopped to contemplate the room. He was, at first, overwhelmed by the alien smell of disinfectant, and instinctively wrinkled his nose. On the other hand, he decided, at least it was a lot cooler in here than outside. Although, now he had to find his way around. Since no one could see him he knew he had had the freedom to wander freely, but he also had no idea where anything was supposed to be. Nor could he exactly ask. Sighing, Toshiro studied the map of the compound and tried to reason where the doctor could be. _'Let's see: with any patient in any of the 1000+ rooms IF he's with a patient IF he's even here today.'_ The shinigami growled at his lack of fore thought, and as to why human-world buildings had to be so darned big!

"May we visit my husband? Sen Tenko...I think he's in room 104..." Toshiro turned and watched the woman as she talked to the receptionist, and then the children who were playfully fighting over some toy. The mother had a bouquet of carnations in one arm, and the children each had a small, crudely wrapped box. After a quick phone call, the receptionist granted them access, and, after a moment of thought, Toshiro followed them. Maybe, he figured, the family and Shiba would cross paths.

As fate would have it, it wasn't long before the young shinigami heard the hearty laugh of the ex-shinigami, and he easily tracked the sound to a staff lounge. Upon entrance, he found himself in a small room with two couches, a small television, and a refrigerator. Shiba was lazily lounging on one of the couches, eating some sort of human candy and chatting with another doctor. Toshiro quietly slipped forward until he was right behind Shiba's friend.

"...come, come Kurosaki. There's no way you could beat me six times in a row. What's your secret?"

"Tch- have some faith in my natural affinity wirth this sort of thing- I won those seven times fair and square!"

_'Kurosaki...'_ Toshiro mused, "So that's what you call yourself these days..." It was just as the 12th Squad predicted: even though he had uttered the last part out loud, his old Captain hadn't heard. He really was without spirit pressure. The young shinigami swallowed any doubts, or indeed hopes, he might've had, and instead focused back on Shiba {or Kurosaki. Whatever} In terms of appearance he hadn't changed to much. He had aged a little bit here in the human world- showing sighs of wispy facial hair- but he still looked just as goofy and undervalued as usual.

"Idiot old man...how old do you think you are, anyway?" Toshiro's voice cracked mid-sentence, and he was glad no one could hear him. He watched for a few more minutes, amazed at how different yet painfully familiar the man was. Finally, the shinigami turned to leave, casting one last glance backward to Shib...Kurosaki. The man was laughing again, looking all to the world carefree and peaceful.

* * *

Once Toshiro left the lounge, he started back down the hall. Strangely enough, there really weren't any windows in the halls themselves, and he really didn't want to go into a patient's room just to get out. It would be weird- not to mention disrespectful. So, the shingami resolved to just return to the office. Until he heard the crying. It sounded like a woman, and besides that he could hear multiple voices at a murmur, coming from a room nearby. Not that it was such an unusual sound in a hospital, but Toshiro slightly slowed his pace. Just then, the door the the room was thrown open, and a few doctors and a nurse started to leave, with a crying woman following.

"Please! Tell me about my baby! What's wrong...why isn't he waking? Will he-" The woman collapsed into tears, pulling on the nurse's arm. The doctors tried to counsel her and assure her that they were doing what they could, and the nurse led her back into the room. After a moment, the hall was once again silent. Toshiro, now stopped, stared at the door. He knew that staying any longer here would be pushing his luck, but curiosity overcame that and, after another moment, he slipped into the room.

It was somewhat crowded in the room, with more doctors, the still-crying woman, and a stoic looking man. And of course, the boy in the bed. He looked pretty young- eight or nine, perhaps- and was sleeping. There weren't any immediately obvious problems, but he was hooked up to strange equipment with numerous tubes and wires. Now, with or without the constant beeping, it was obvious the child wasn't doing well. The doctors just stood around and soberly watched the boy or their machines, while who Toshiro assumed was the father sat with his head in his hands, and the mother just cried; the nurse trying to address her, "Ma'am, please. There are good chances that your son will be okay. Please calm down. He's had these bouts before and I'm sure-" at that point, the mother's crying drowned out the nurses's words, and she gave up, instead going to check on the equipment. Toshiro watched all this with a small sigh, before heading to the window. He was just about to leave, when the child suddenly sat up. Or rather, unbeknownst to the others in the room, his soul sat up.

The shinigami turned back to him, and started to grab his Zanpakuto, until he realized that the child's chain was still attached to the body. He watched as the boy looked around in wonder, first at his miserable mother, then to his own body, before noticing Toshiro.

"Hi! Um...who are you? And do you know what's going on?" The child bounced eagerly as he asked, and Toshiro answered honestly. Once he did, the child's face became one of eager amazement, and looked about ready to ask a million questions. Until he remembered where he was, and fearfully considered the shinigami more carefully.

"So then...am I dead? Is that why you're here?" Toshiro shook his head in amusement, "No, no. I'm not here for you." The child sighed with relief, "Then why is a shingami here? For someone else at the hospital?" Once again, Toshiro shook his head, "No, just visiting an old friend...Dr. Kurosaki." The child's face brightened, "He's one of my doctors! He's a funny guy." The shinigami considered the boy carefully; of which was now chatting about the time Dr. Kurosaki wore a princess dress all day. Finally Toshiro stopped him {at the part where Kurosaki's dress caught on a bed pan, sadly}.

"Say...next time you see Dr. Kurosaki, could you say hello to him. You can tell him From Hitsugaya." The child looked a little confused as to why he couldn't do it himself since he was already here, but happily agreed to do so.

"So then...I'm not dead, right?" The kid was serious again, once again noting his body, "I'm okay?"

"Yeah, you're fine..." Toshiro studied the kid more closely, before nodding toward the woman, "...but she's not." The child followed his gaze guiltily, "Momma does look awful sad. How come?"

"She wants you to wake up. Once you go back to sleep, you have to make yourself awaken, okay? Even if your body doesn't want to. Then she'll be happy, okay?" The kid nodded happily, "Then I should wake up quick, huh?" With that, he lay back down into his body, and returned to sleep. Toshiro watched him for a few minutes, before turning and climbing out until he was perched on the window.

"Bye...Shiba. For good, I suppose. Try not to do anything stupid...er than normal."

* * *

"Yes, he's having a relapse. I don't know if he'll pull out of this one."

Two somber-faced doctors rushed down the hall, one hurriedly pulling on his gloves, "And you've done everything?"

"Yes, I just figured I'd get you, Kurosaki, in case you could think of anything. The family is in there, and we haven't even told them..." A moment of silence passed between the two doctors as they stepped into the room. Then another, and another. Finally, the second broke the silence, "I thought you said he was unconscious."

"He was." Came the reply. The speaker shot a questioning look to the nurse, who just shrugged, "I dunno what happened- kid just wakes up like nothing happened. I've taken his pulse and everything, I've not the slightest idea!" Kurosaki shrugged and went up to his young patient, who, indeed looked fine, if not cheerful, "How are you, Chiharu? I hear you gave everyone quite a scare." The boy nodded, "Yup. But I'm awake now! Oh, yeah. Hitugaya says hi."

Isshin started so much, he dropped his clipboard, "What what that you just..." Chiharu smiled, "When I was sleeping a shinigami came by and asked me to say hi to you for him. He said his name was Hitsugaya, and I told him about that dress you...hey Kurosaki-Sensei, are you okay?" The doctor looked back to the boy, "Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks...for telling me..."

* * *

**Yeah, I'm not sure about that ending but...meh, whatever. After all, I'm not to sure about the whole second part. The first was really all I had in mind, then I decided to have a patient pass on a message and...yeah. Sorry if it wasn't good, my writing is still pretty bad. **

**Again, this is probably stretching it concerning the canon plot, but, I thought it would be awful sad if it did happen c:**

**Please review- critique is greatly welcomed~**

**Oh, and obviously, I don't own Bleach.  
**


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